


At Your Mercy

by FableButt



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Heats and Ruts, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Omega Verse, Pining, a/b/o au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-06-05 10:05:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6700549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FableButt/pseuds/FableButt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one really thought that Robin would come back, not really.  With tensions already flaring in the castle thanks to Chrom entering his summer rut, Frederick is slowly feeling the world crumbling out from under him in what should be peacetime.  The tightness in his chest becomes worse when a miracle happens, but the man he loves is being pushed into another's arms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waterfalls

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, this isn't what I expected to be posting, but after reading [Protected](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5166920/chapters/11901749) by sarai377, a particular scene made me ooze gay feelings for M!Robin/Frederick. That fic itself is a M!Robin/Chrom fic, but a great read that I really recommend.
> 
> As it says at the beginning of that fic, I will put it here! Since this is an A/B/O fic, there will be points where it references dubious consent, but while they might be hormone driven I can ensure you that no one is banging who they don't _already want_ to bang! I won't tolerate rape in my own fics, so none of that is around here. I just want everyone to be on the same page and not feel like they're surprised by something they don't like.

Five months. It had been five months since Robin has sacrificed himself to fell Grima once and for all. No one had seen hide nor hair of the tactician since he faded into nothingness after the defeat. His Lord Chrom had insisted that Robin wasn't dead, of course, that he would come back to them all eventually. Honestly, if you asked Frederick, he thought that was hog wash. He would be remiss to let his Exalt know what he thought of the matter.

Everyone who looked at Chrom, Frederick included, could tell what it really was. The Alpha prince didn't want to let go. Robin had been quite the tempting Omega even if he hadn't realized it, and had somehow captured the heart of the blue haired prince long before the war was over. It had been common knowledge, except maybe to Robin himself, that when the white haired man hit his first heat Chrom would be there to claim him for himself.

They would have made a lovely couple if only Robin hadn't died.

Or, disappeared. Chrom would get angry if you even happened to suggest the thought that Robin was anything less than just Missing In Action. Many of the Shepherds doubted that he would someday appear back in their lives. Some had even already held a private and secret funeral for their friend. Frederick knew because he had attended. While there was no doubt in Chrom's mind that Robin would return, Frederick had no doubt that Robin had perished.

Things had changed since then. After months of stabilization the continent was finally out of the state of war time. It was still wary in places, but people were willing to hope. The economy was doing well, too, with all the rebuilding. Mostly the Council had calmed down about their usual nonsense. Other than a few packs of weakened Risen roaming the countryside, all was peaceful.

Peaceful didn't mean perfect. It was nearing that time of year that many had learned to hate. Chrom was about to enter a rut. Most of the castle had his cycles memorized by now. Twice a year, once in summer and once in winter, the prince would become an absolute monster to deal with.

On a normal day the blue haired prince was many things: inspiring, friendly, confident, loyal and even sassy at times. For the month of his rut it was almost like he would do a complete turn around. Chrom was the top Alpha in charge and he didn't let anyone forget it. He was short tempted and quick to anger- it seemed like every rut he ended up in a legitimate fist fight with Vaike over something stupid. There was no one spared from this wrath and it was best to avoid him. He always apologized afterward, at least.

Perhaps the worst thing was that it seemed like every time Chrom went into a rut, it triggered the rest of the Alphas to rut not but a few days later. Frederick was also fairly certain that it would cause the only Omegas that stayed with them, Olivia and Noire, to go into heat. As far as the great knight knew, that was just the price of being around such a heady and dominant Alpha scent.

Even with all this going on, Frederick still had duties to attend too. The castle wouldn't keep itself in running order, after all, and no one would be able to put the fear into the new recruits. There were many things that needed attended to and he was right in his element taking care of them. Like tending the silver so it gave a luxurious sheen, for example.

"Frederick!" The door was thrown open with surprising force before Lissa bounced into the room. She had on one of her flouncy sundresses, perfect for fighting the summer heat. Frederick couldn't help but notice that she had already stained the yellow fabric with some sort of mud or grime, but he chose to overlook it for now. "Chrom and I are going riding in the fields. Do you want to come?"

It only took a moment for Frederick to shake his head. "I can't, though I thank you for the offer. Perhaps Olivia would like to go?" It worried the knight more than he would let show to allow his charges to go off on their own. With the state Chrom was getting to be in, it was for the best that he avoid any other Alphas for a few days. Olivia, too, was just a distraction for the prince. Secretly Frederick hoped that maybe a whiff of her Omega scent would calm Chrom down, or at least make him take enough interest to stop his fixation on Robin.

Even the trip in of itself was just an excuse to look for Robin. Almost every day Chrom would travel to that field with Lissa where they all first met. He would scour every inch looking for the man under the pretense of just taking a ride, but everyone knew what he was really after. He was just hoping to find the man who had eluded his charms and then died.

Lissa pouted and then sighed, but nodded. While she might look and act childish a lot of the time, she was very in tune with what happened around her. She picked up on what Frederick had meant. Him being around would just cause Chrom to get angry. Alphas didn't get along during a rut, even when one of them was subservient like he was to Chrom. It would just end in trouble.

"I'll come see you later, then. You be good while I'm gone." She gave a mischievous grin and then giggled before turning and leaving, a skip in her step. It was nice to see that all the death and violence hadn't worn down Lissa's shining spirit. Even as a Beta, Frederick was confident she would make someone a fine wife and was the perfect princess.

Regardless, he returned to the task at hand. All the silver in the castle wouldn't polish itself, after all, and Frederick had nothing but time until his evening training session.

\-------

"Fire!" It was hard to dodge the blast of heat from Henry's tome, but Frederick managed it even in his clunky armor. The silver haired sorcerer laughed with glee at the attack even thought it had missed. Frederick raised his lance and rushed Henry, taking him by surprise. Thought the magical boy tried to dodge, the wooden lance ended up at his throat.

"Wow, Fredrick, you would have impaled me if this were real! A giant hole right though my neck!" Henry laughed again and grinned wide, clearly amused by this. Frederick instead lowered his practice weapon and shook his head. Henry was a skilled mage, but his reaction time wasn't getting any better. It was a shame.

"Have you been practicing like I asked? There will come a time when an enemy will get close to you. I would hate to lose a valuable soldier because you couldn't dodge their blade."

Henry just shrugged and hummed. He didn't seem to care about any of that, never did, but what Frederick said was true. Deep down, he also wouldn't like to lose the Beta. He made an odd but decent friend.

"I heard that Chrom is about to go into a rut! Is that as scary as Miriel says it is?" Henry instead deflected the question with a question of his own, one that made Frederick frown. It wasn't right to speak about Chrom so lightly, especially about something so personal. Still, Henry hadn't been around long enough to witness one of these spells yet, so...

"Its worse than you've heard." Maybe a little warning wouldn't hurt. Henry had a tendency to stick his nose into things that were violent or bloody. He didn't want to see the Beta get hurt just because he was curious. "If you don't listen to anything else I say, avoid him." He paused, trying to observe how Henry reacted. He didn't gleam anything that might be useful, to show his warning worked, so instead he shook his head. "Also, are you... mated with anyone?" It made Frederick uncomfortable to ask, but it was important.

Henry's grin widened and he raised his brows. "Why? Are you asking?" He laughed again and shook his head. "No, no... I'm courting, but not mated! Don't tell anyone, though. Its a secret." He whispered the last part and chuckled to himself.

"I see." For the moment, he would let the joke roll off his back. He could get upset about that later when he was on his own. "I don't know who this person is, but if its an Alpha, ready yourself. You will be... bred very thoroughly." Frederick tried to ignore the slight look of shock at Frederick's crassness that crossed Henry's features and collected his training tools. He didn't like talking about such things, but he figured that Henry could use the warning. Maybe the sorcerer would spread the warning around to the newer members of the Shepherds.

It was true, though. When Chrom's rut scent permeated the castle and triggered all the other Alpha ruts, it would be a madhouse of breeding and fighting. It would be bad enough to knock the entire army on its ass for the month, make them vulnerable. It also always somehow ruined friendships and camaraderie. Without Robin around, someone who could help lead and guide, Frederick feared that the Shepherds would fall apart to the paltry group they were before the wars started.

But Frederick didn't want to think of Robin or of the inevitable doom of the Shepherds. He just wanted to go and take a long soak to get the aches from training out of his back.

\-------

The water was still pleasantly warm by the time he reached it. The bath water was emptied a few times a day and reheated with Fire spells, but with the entire Shepherds sharing the waters it could be tough to get time when it wasn't full up or just cold. Finding that perfect in between was hard, but Frederick always knew what time was the best to visit by now.

It was easy to soak himself and allow himself to relax, if only for a few minutes. The grit and grime of the day washed off easily with his mint soap. He enjoyed baths, enjoyed the solitude, enjoyed not having anything expected of him for a while. With bath-time, however, came time for his mind to wander. He didn't have a set task to distract himself from what was really troubling him. He didn't have any facades to keep up to those around him. Bath-time was a blessing and also a curse.

"Robin...." The name was barely a whisper on Frederick's lips, so low that he doubted he even said it out loud for a moment. Just the name pulled up images of the younger man. His deep brown eyes, the unruly white hair, his kind smile and easy laugh... it make Frederick's chest ache. For many reasons. One was for a longing that he would never have Robin as he desired. Another was that he would most likely never see the man again.

It was easier to think that Robin was dead than to hold out the hope that Chrom had. Even if Robin were still alive, he would no doubt be with Chrom as his Omega anyway. There was no sense in even thinking about what it would mean if he were still around.... unending torment for Frederick, he was sure, and no one would ever know. Robin had been so kind to him even when the knight had been suspicious, had taken or deflected many blows that would have killed Frederick as well. It had made a complex set of feelings blossom in his chest after a while, ones he didn't want to address given the state of things. It was never like he could act on them, after all.

The memory came to him of when Robin had helped him with his aversion to bear meat. He still didn't like the stuff, but from time to time he would slip into the kitchen to get a nibble of the disgusting jerky just so he could remember. The tactician had laid out so many kinds of meat, then had taken extra care to rip them into manageable bits before coaxing him to eat. It was such a change from when he was on the battlefield. When Robin fought he was all confidence and no nonsense. Powerful and reliable. Back at the camp he was always very gentle and even timid. The transformation was so odd to see and so endearing.

It had shamed Frederick when he had been in his last few ruts, before Robin was gone. The knight had always had an... interest towards men. When he was younger and closer to Chrom, his desires made his fantasize of the prince riding him through his affliction. It was something he had managed to squash down and ignore, since he knew that Chrom didn't reciprocate his feelings but also since Chrom would most likely end up on the giving side of that particular arrangement. It was an enduring fantasy, though, until Robin entered his life.

It had surprised even himself when Frederick had gotten some clarity of mind. During those two years of peace, when Chrom had sired Lucina with some willing woman during a rut, was when he had the realization. Laying in bed, sweaty and exhausted from tending to his own needs he had the vague thought that this time he hadn't thought of Chrom. There was no twinge of sadness thinking that the person he wanted would never share his bed, whose throat he might be able to bite with Bond marks and posses. He had thought of Robin, sweet Robin who deserved so much better than himself. The smaller man would no doubt press tightly to his chest and quiver in pleasure. It made him want more. He hadn't been able to look Robin in the eyes the next day.

It was after the next rut that those bitter feelings returned, though. Knowing he craved what he shouldn't. It was around that time that Chrom had started circling him protectively. Their scents were mingled so closely that even though Chrom hadn't bred him, hadn't Bonded, everyone knew that he would end up on all fours showing for the prince during his next heat. Only that moment never came. War broke out, and high stress stifled the urge to mate in Omegas. Then he had died.

Stomach twisting, Frederick hurried his bath along. It wouldn't do him good to sit and dwell when there were bigger problems to take care of.

\-------

The first incident with Chrom happened a four days later. The prince had been in full rut for barely two days and his attitude had shifted. It was a damn good thing that Lissa was around or nothing would get done in the kingdom, but its not as if Frederick could blame him. All Alphas took to trying to show themselves for potential mates, even himself, with fighting and dominance displays.

The heady scent of 'top alpha in rut' had permeated the castle and its grounds. It seemed like no matter where you went you could smell it. Frederick had tried to resist as long as he could, but the scent felt like a challenge to some deep part of himself. He had woken up that morning aroused, itchy and feeling sticky heat in his very core. A sign, he knew. He would be in rut in two days, tops, if he could hold out.

Those around him were also already feeling the effects. Vaike and Maribelle were in full swing just like he would be. Tensions were running high anyway. Maribelle had already shattered three teacups and tried to assault her husband, Donnel, right in the middle of the castle's courtyard. The worst incident was Vaike.

Tempers had flared during a sparring match between him and Chrom. Some silly comment meant to be taken in jest had insulted the prince, and the two had ended up in a fist fight. It had taken three people each, himself included, to pull the two off of one another and far enough away they wouldn't just fight again. Both ended up bloody and hateful the rest of the day.

Frederick was already hot and frustrated when Olivia came to him. Her scent calmed him, but also made the prickles of want under his skin start anew. She wasn't in dead heat yet, like he wasn't in rut, but her scent was starting to pick up some. It was worrisome.

He had been trying to sort out the new training equipment. Someone had just brought it to the barracks and left it to lay instead of doing the sensible thing and getting it out of the way. Frederick had almost snapped at her when he felt the cool hand press softly on his arm, but he managed to catch himself.

"I... Olivia. Yes, what can I do for you?" He tried to keep his tone cordial, but with the frustration rising in his gut it was hard.

"Lord Chrom asked if you would go with Lissa and I on our evening ride. He is... busy, at the moment." Her eyes slide to the side and she looked uncomfortable. Chrom must have taken someone to his chambers to try and get the worst of his rut out for now. At least things might settle down for a day or two if he did.

"Of course. I'll go get the horses ready and meet you both by the front gates." She had given him a gentle smile and nodded before leaving. He sighed when she was gone. The wooden sword he had been holding was thrown down hard on the table, making it clatter in protest. He didn't have time for these silly games yet he had to do as he was told.

In no less than fifteen minutes, he was mounted on his own prized mare and had two horses ready for the ladies. They were chatting brightly by the gate, but stopped when they saw him approaching. Lissa gave him a big smile and waved.

"Hi Frederick! Thank you for going with us!" She said as she bounced to get on her horse. Olivia followed more quietly. Frederick just nodded in response, his mood soured enough that he wasn't sure he could respond in a more positive way at the moment. Seeming to sense his mood, the two ladies simply glanced at each other before mounting their horses. They waited only a moment before riding off, Frederick following.

Chrom always did this. When he couldn't go and look for Robin himself, he sent Frederick or some other fool to go look. Just knowing he was going to that same field filled the knight's chest with a tight pain he couldn't place; didn't want to place. It was high summer, too, so the long grass would be dry and yellow like it was when they found him. This trip would hurt badly.

Still, Frederick knew he needed to at least keep some manner of calm for his Lady Lissa and for Olivia. These two women had done nothing to deserve his ire so he would be wrong to give it to them. If anything, Lissa always became more of a mature women than he would expect during the ruts. She was turning into such a reliable young woman.

The two had pulled ahead of him somewhat, but Frederick would allow it. These fields were very open and he could sense no danger. Lissa and Olivia seemed to be having a good time chatting, and he wondered if maybe they had become friends since the dancer started to go on these daily visits. It would do well for them both to have someone they could rely on that wasn't family.

It was rude to stare and even Frederick could feel how his eyes bored into them. He forced himself to look at the landscape around him instead. It was just like it was that day, almost four years ago now. When Robin suddenly appeared in their life and changed everything, then saved the world. All the colors, the rustling of leaves, the warmth in the air, even the smell was the same. It saddened him.

Then something caught his eye. A flash of purple, mostly concealed by the yellow of the grass. Fearing an enemy Frederick unsheathed his sword and surged his horse forward, blocking the two women with his body before approaching the spot. Whatever it was didn't move. It was probably just a dead beast, but he smelled no rot and saw no flies.

"Frederick?" Olivia whispered from somewhere behind him. He didn't know if they had saw what he did, but it was better to be thought crazy than have a dead companion or princess.

"Stay here. Ready your weapons." The two women looked at each other as Frederick approached the thing, but did as they were told. Even when he was right up on it, whatever it was, he couldn't get a good look. The grass had bent around it, covering it. Frederick would make out that it seemed to be human, though. Perhaps a Risen who had gotten close to town and perished. He wouldn't let himself think that the coat was familiar. He wouldn't let himself get excited just to have it dashed.

He used his sword to push the grass aside. He gasped and dropped it at his side when he did.

"Frederick?!" Lissa called for him, worried, but he ignored her. He was enraptured by what he saw. There, in the grass, was Robin. He was thin and dirty, soot coating his fine white hair and cheeks. His eyes were closed and he looked as good as dead, but close observation showed his chest rise and fall with slightly labored breathing. Frederick descended from his horse and leaned over, scooping the smaller man up with no care for if it could be some trick.

Frederick the Wary would allow himself to die at the hands of some trap if only to hold Robin close for one moment.

"By Naga!" He hadn't noticed Lissa ride up to him, but in an instant she was upon him. Her healing staff was ready, to make sure that Robin was okay, but a protective urge flared within him for a moment. He growled low in his throat, a threat, before he could stop himself and pulled Robin tighter to his chest. Lissa stilled and stared hard at Frederick, then averted her eyes. Realizing how silly he was being, Frederick forced himself to relax. Robin wasn't his and yet he was acting like Lissa would try and take him from her. He was being foolish. Allowing the start of his rut to rule him already.

"He looks fine.... just weak and malnourished." Lissa stepped back from her careful examination. The Omega had a few small scrapes and bruises on him, but nothing that a good dose of healing magic couldn't fix. If anything deeper was wrong with him, then Libra could take a look later. "We should hurry and get him back to the castle anyway. Fix him up right."

The smaller girl mounted her horse again, followed by Olivia. Olivia paused long enough to give Frederick a scrutinizing look before glancing at Robin. She had been quiet during the entire ordeal. He knew for fact that he had let himself slip up. Now two most likely knew of his most secret fondness for the white haired man. At least they didn't say anything about it if they did. Olivia just joined Lissa and they started to trot off, as if to give Frederick a bit of time alone. He was such a fool.

Frederick only gave Robin another look over in his arms. He was so light, much lighter than before, and seemed so much smaller then he remembered. In Robin's slumber his throat was exposed perfectly to the knight. It made the stirrings of desire spike in his stomach. The knight wanted so badly to just snap at that tender spot with his teeth, mark Robin as his alone. Instead he carefully mounted his horse so that he could hold the younger man to his chest as he rode.

"Mm.... Fre.... ick?" Robin stirred, his eyes cracking for an instant. Frederick's heart fluttered that Robin had recognized him by scent after so long apart. Still, he crushed it down deep inside of himself. Before he could even respond, Robin sighed and his eyes closed again.

Frederick had known this ride would be hard, but he hadn't know for what reason.


	2. Drops of Jupiter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin wakes up.

The next few hours passed in a blur, but Frederick stayed by Robin's side through the entire ordeal. Upon reaching the castle again, the knight had abandoned his horse to take Robin inside and to Libra. At least he could trust that Olivia or Lissa would put her up. He marched down the hallways with his head high, and he knew that he was putting off much more Alpha scent than he meant. Lissa stayed on his heels, but the hurried pace and his own dominance display were drawing a few curious looks.

It didn't take long to reach Libra, where he was set up at the castle's Chapel. Lon'qu was inside talking to the man when he entered, and upon getting a whiff of Frederick the Chon'sin Alpha rose to his feet with a slight growl. Frederick shot him a warning look and approached anyway; strange that Lon'qu would try and claim this place as his. Lon'qu didn't back down, but at least calmed when he saw the bundle in his arms.

"Frederick?" Libra stepped forward, the Beta gently pushing past Lon'qu and approaching. He gasped softly, eyes widening a little when he saw it was Robin that the knight had. "Where did you...?"

"Out in the fields on Lissa's evening ride." He replied, more curt than he intended. He didn't have time for petty chatting. "Lissa looked him over and healed him, but we aren't sure if more might be wrong. Please, see if he's alright." Libra nodded and moved back, clearing the offering table quickly.

"Put him here for now. I'll-" Libra noticed how Frederick tensed. " _We'll_ move him to the infirmary in a few minutes." Nodding, the knight gingerly laid Robin down as asked. Libra moved quietly, starting to tug off Robin's robes and clothing, causing Frederick to start.

"What are you doing?"

Libra didn't even flinch at the snap, but Lon'qu growled low again and tried to put his body between Frederick and the Beta. Was Lon'qu... courting him? Odd. Either way, Libra soothed the frayed nerves of both Alphas with his gentle voice. "I need to see if he has anymore wounds. Then he will need a bath. Lon'qu, will you go get some towels? And ask someone to heat some water to wash." Lon'qu hesitated and stared at Frederick before nodding and making a quick exit. Frederick watched him go, and only now noticed that Lissa wasn't with them anymore.

His answer on where she went was answered just a few minutes later. The doors opened with a great shove, causing one of the two ornate doors to hit the wall hard and bounce off loudly. This caused Robin to flinch in his semi-concious state.

"Brother!" Came a warning remark. Lissa was at the door, right behind Chrom. The prince was sweaty and still had lingering smell of sex around him. He surveyed the room, his eyes locking on the mostly undressed Robin and the healer's hands that touched him. He seemed like himself, just for an instant, bright and happy to see his friend's return. Then the expression darkened and he knew that sense had left him again and the rut was there.

"Don't touch him." Came the low growl. He stomped forward and looked at both Libra and Frederick hotly. Libra, surprisingly for a Beta, managed to hold his gaze for a moment before sliding his eyes down and removing his hands. Frederick felt the prickle of heat under his skin again and something in his head urged him to lunge at the blue haired prince. Still, he resisted, and looked down as well. He had no place to fight Chrom over what wasn't his.

"I'm checking him for wounds. He doesn't look good." Even without meeting Chrom's eyes, Libra still kept his voice strong in hopes it would get through to the rut-addled prince. Chrom ignored him for now and approached Robin, half shoving Frederick out of the way to do so. He ran his fingers over Robin's face, down his cheeks to his soft throat. The prince pressed his thumb against the tactician's throat, at the tempting crook where the skin was sensitive on Omegas and the scent strongest. The part you would bite and claim them as your own. Frederick felt a protective urge in his gut but ignored it. When Robin made a soft noise in his sleep, Chrom pulled himself away and nodded.

"Heal him." It almost sounded like Chrom, the friendly tone, but there was a certain edge that made it seem more like a threat and order. Libra simply nodded and got close to Robin again. The blond haired man resumed checking him over for injury. After a tense few minutes, Libra pulled away and shook his head.

"He's... okay. I won't be able to get a very good look until he wakes up, but nothing seems to be broken. He needs lost of rest, a bath, some nutritious but gentle food and he should be fine." As he spoke, Libra dressed Robin again with his thin fingers. Frederick was secretly a little disappointed to see the white flesh gone from view, but with mixed feelings he was also glad that Chrom couldn't see it anymore as well. Really, he needed to get control over this.

About that time, Lon'qu returned with an armful or towels. "Libra! The bath is drawn!" He didn't notice Chrom right away, but when he did his eyes narrowed. However, he seemed to keep some hold over himself and stepped back. Chrom responded with picking Robin up much like Frederick had earlier and walking over to Lon'qu.

"Lead me."

Another friendly order. Lon'qu snarled his lip then shook his head and led him off. Frederick was left with nothing but the dominating scent of Chrom, Libra, Lissa and the cold pit that had developed in his stomach.

"Frederick." Lissa tried to gently take his arm, but he jerked away from her roughly and made for the exit. The knight tried to ignore the looks of pity in the pair's eyes when he turned the corner. He had things to do that were more important than be lovesick over someone he couldn't have. He didn't have time for this.

\------

It was the next day at noon when Frederick saw Robin again. Chrom had stayed by the young man's side all night and most of that day. He had washed Robin, changed his clothes, managed to feed him bites of carrot soup when Robin was conscious enough. Robin still hadn't properly woken up yet, only sparing a few confused seconds at a time where he would say strange things then drift back off.

Frederick had spent the night tossing and turning. The rut was already heating his skin and making his cock hang heavy between his thighs. He hated it and resisted touching himself. His reward was a sleepless night where all he could think about was Robin's scent and how he had whispered his name on horseback.

Still, things needed to be done and there were few of the staff who would approach Chrom, especially since he was being so protective of Robin. This was how Frederick got saddled with the task of taking lunch to the prince. The tray rested easy in his hands as he moved through the hallways to the infirmary. As soon as Frederick opened the door Chrom's scent hit him in the face. It had soaked and permeated into everything it felt like. He briefly wondered what Chrom's chambers smelled like since he actually lived there, and since his interrupted encounter with whoever he was breeding.

The thought fled his mind when Chrom looked up, testing and angry. It was belated that Frederick realized with his muddled brain that he had forgotten to knock. Maybe his rut would hit him sooner than expected if he was already forgetting things. Taking a moment to collect himself, Frederick cleared his throat and moved towards them.

"Milord. I have brought you lunch, as well as fresh soup for Robin." Bowing low, he sat the silver tray on the bedside table before picking up the dirty dishes. He spared a glance at Robin, who looked much cleaner since he last saw him. The man just looked better all around, his pale cheeks regaining a slightly rosy color of health since yesterday. Chrom and Libra must be taking good care of him.

"Frederick, wait." Chrom stood abruptly, eying Frederick hard. He reached out and the knight was proud of himself for not flinching, but all Chrom did was grab the used dishes. "I'll return these. I have things I need to do. I don't trust anyone else to his safety." His eyes narrowed. "I _can_ trust you with his safety?" Frederick nodded and met Chrom's eyes.

"I won't let harm come to him, Milord. You can count on me." Chrom regarded him for another intense moment before his expression softened. It was nice to see Chrom be himself. Frederick still waited until the blue haired man was gone before sitting down in his seat and observing Robin.

Just as beautiful as he remembered. Frederick's heart clenched again when he though of the younger man. Someone who he never thought he would see again, and yet Chrom had always been so sure. Even if Frederick desired Robin, he didn't deserve to so much as entertain the thought. His doubt made him unworthy of the affections from the white haired fellow. It was just more proof that he was destined to be with Chrom.

"Mmmmmm..." Frederick was pulled from his thoughts when a soft groan came from beside him. Robin stirred, shifting before those chocolate brown eyes cracked open. He seemed confused and looked around the room, body tense. Then his gaze slid over Frederick and he relaxed. His pucker of confusion gave way to a timid smile at the larger man.

"Frederick?" Robin's voice was rough from disuse. He ended up wincing some and giving a sharp cough before he shifted some to try and get a better look at the other man. "Where... where is everyone?" A look of horror crossed his face. "Did we win? Is everyone okay?" Frederick's mind reeled for a moment at what he could mean. Then it clicked. The final battle with Grima, when he had shoved past Chrom and ended the dragon himself despite what Chrom had wanted.

"Everyone is just fine." It took Frederick time to answer. It made him feel bad, seeing how worried Robin looked. "That battle was many months ago, Robin." It was a tentative venture, but he saw Robin's brows knit up before he relaxed. Robin closed his eyes again and Frederick thought he might be asleep, but instead he spoke softly.

"Months... It feels like I just put my sword in its chest but a few minutes ago. Strange." Suddenly, Robin's eyes shot back open and he looked at his hand. The mark of the Fell Dragon was gone. He stared disbelieving for a few minutes before he dropped his arm back down with a heavy thud.

It occurred to Frederick that maybe he should send for someone, tell Chrom that Robin was fully awake and aware. A selfish urge had settled in him, though. He doubted he would have much free time to chat with Robin alone. Chrom would no doubt dominate the younger man's time as he had before. It also made Frederick sort of happy that Robin was the first one he actually spoke with. It would be two honors he would hold dear, the other being finding him the field.

"Here, I have food for you. Libra and Lissa said you were malnourished." Lifting the bowl from the tray, Frederick dipped the spoon in and clear broth. It looked to be some type of chicken stock. Robin sat up with some effort, and seemed willing to take the bowl, but instead Frederick got a nice spoonful of the broth of lifted it to Robin's lips. Robin's eyes widened with a bit of shock before he laughed.

"I'm not some babe. I can feed myself." Even as the words left Robin's mouth, he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the spoon. He pulled away and seemed amused, but made no other protest when Frederick took the time to feed him every last drop of broth in the bowl.

\------

Time passed much too fast for Frederick's liking. I had been at least an hour and a half of just him and Robin before the other man had started to get restless. Pleasant conversation had filled the room, asking all about the changes of the last five months, both political and personal. They had gained two more of the 'future' children to their ranks, making them raise from five to seven since Robin had gone. Laurent still reported that there were five more of their group, but no one had found any clues on where they might be. People had gotten married, people had split apart. Such was the way of life.

In the middle of Frederick telling about how his own family was doing, Robin moved so he was sitting up with legs hanging off the side of the bed. He smiled sweetly at Frederick before hopping up. A look of panic crossed the tactician's face when he stumbled on weak legs. Frederick acted as quick as he could to catch him, but only succeeded in pulling Robin close to his chest. The smaller man's face pressed into his dress shirt and they both froze.

"Frederick?" Robin pulled his face away and looked up at him, brows knitted once again. His hands slowly moved to rest on Frederick's chest and he moved so he was less laying on him but still close. "Are you about to rut?" The question was an innocent one, but still made the knight's cheeks color.

"Yes, I... hoped you wouldn't notice." Robin seemed dazed before he pulled away completely. Frederick was reluctant to let him go, but at least kept his arms at the ready in case Robin lost his balance again. He looked around the room again, nose in the air. Then his eyes widened and he gasped softly.

"Chrom is in rut!" The younger man looked distressed, but sighed and quickly shook it down. He smoothed down his simple white shirt and brown pants before shaking his head. "Can we go outside? Its very stifling in here." Frederick didn't want to let him leave, wanted to keep Robin to himself for a little while longer. He nodded and offered his arm in case Robin needed it, which the younger man took with a smile.

Knowing Robin probably wanted fresh air, Frederick opened the door and led him outside. The courtyard would most likely be the best place for him right now. Robin probably wanted to see his friends again and talk with them, but the knight was worried that all the sudden excitement would make the white haired man ill again. By this point word had spread around the castle that Robin was back and many were eager to see him again. The only things keeping everyone at bay was Libra's warnings not to crowd Robin and Chrom guarding him.

Few people even dared come by the infirmary unless they had to, so the hallways to the courtyard were mostly clear. A few servants here and there, but no one who knew either of them well enough to try and talk to them. It was a lovely summer day at least, so maybe someone would be out and about when they reached their destination.

"Gaius!" A smile broke onto Robin's face when he say him. Somehow he had spotted the orange haired thief hiding in a shadowy corner of the flowered enclosure when they arrived. Gaius raised his hand and smiled, lollipop stick hanging from his lips. They approached and the thief peeled himself from the wall. While he seemed pleased to see them, Frederick couldn't help but notice that something was off about Gaius. He was sluggish and seemed downcast instead of his usual self. When Gaius was close enough to beam at them and went in for a quick hug with Robin, Frederick thought maybe he had imagined it.

"Bubbles! Looking more alive than you were a few days ago." Gaius chuckled and guided the two of them over to a set of stone benches. Robin sat down heavily and sighed. It seemed the short walk had taken more out of him than Frederick had realized. "If anyone was going to rise from the dead, it would be you!"

"Ah, yeah I guess so." Robin laughed and Frederick slowly sat down next to him. Gaius took the bench across from them, crossing his legs and leaning back to asses the Omega before him. "How have you been?" Robin continued. Robin had been very excited when he had learned just a few of the small updates on life that Frederick had told him earlier. If Robin was anything, it was earnest. He was very invested in his friend's lives.

Gaius simply shrugged. The teasing grin was still in place even as he slid a pink lollipop between his lips. "Same old, same old. What about you? Where you been while we've been sitting here worrying, Bubbles?" Robin frowned and shook his head lightly.

"He seemed to think the battle with Grima had just ended when he woke up." Frederick cut in. Gaius glanced at the Alpha before lowering his eyes and sighing.

"Ole Blue was real worried about you. Don't think he ever would have taken a mate if it wasn't you, Bubbles." For just a second, Frederick thought he picked up a faint twinge of bitterness under the teasing tone. It was so fleeting that the knight though maybe he had just imagined it. Even if he had wanted to press the issue, it was over when Robin started to worry his hands and looked away from the two of them.

"Ah, yeah, right. Mating with... Chrom." Robin was sheepish about it. Frederick attributed it to just being shy and not wanting to air his relationships. He had seemed uncomfortable earlier, too, when he realized that Chrom was rutting and he could smell it. Frederick vaguely wondered if Robin would go into a Heat now that he had returned. Robin smelled amazing anyway, like all Omega did, but an Omega in Heat was like being drawn in by nature's sweetest ambrosia itself. When the knight realized where his thoughts were going, he did his best to detail it before he regretted it.

"I'm kind of, um, weak for that right now." Robin's voice was what snapped him out of it. Of course Robin was too weak to breed right now, especially as thoroughly as a rut would do, so he figured Robin was safe for at least a little while from Chrom's advances. Even if it was for something so silly, Frederick liked the idea that for a little while longer Robin would be unclaimed. The knight held no hope of claiming him himself, but he could dream.

"Yeah, yeah... guess you know your own body more than I do." Gaius shrugged and with that the topic was dropped. It took a little while for Robin to relax again, his tense shoulders to drop and his hands to stop anxiously twiddling and drop to his lap. Gaius and Robin traded all sorts of interesting gossip, some of which even Frederick didn't know. Apparently someone had seen Gerome hanging around a silver haired swordsman that no one knew. It was made even more suspicious of rumors that Henry and Olivia had been seen together multiple times. Another future child, perhaps, or maybe they were all just reading too much into it.

As discussions drew to a natural close, Gaius flicked his eyes up to behind Robin and Frederick. His easy look faded and he pressed his lips into a firm line before looking down. Robin seemed confused, but slowly turned his head anyway to see what had upset Gaius so much. Frederick didn't even need to know. The scent of _challenge_ had hit his nose as soon as the thief looked up. Still, knowing better than to ignore, Frederick stood slowly and turned around to face the wrath of his Lord.

"Lord Chrom." His stance, the set of his jaw, the way his eyes were sharp and threatening- Frederick would anticipate the fight well before the first punch was swung. The knight tried to act submissive, to show he wasn't a threat, but still Chrom raised his hand to try and sock Frederick in the jaw for whatever it was he had done.

"Chrom!" Frederick never felt the punch land, because Robin rose to his feet and swiftly stood between the two Alphas. Gaius had fled in the chaos, melting back into the shadows like he was never there to start with. It was usually a good idea for a Beta to avoid conflict between Alphas, since it could bleed over to them being used as punching bags. Frederick didn't blame him leaving while he could.

As soon as Chrom ran his eyes over Robin, got a whiff of the Omega scent he was putting off, the prince seemed to almost shift into another person. Into his normal, not hormone crazed self. His eyes softened and face morphed from rage into a beaming smile. Robin took hold of his still clenched fist slowly and pulled it towards himself, which Chrom allowed him to do. Robin pouted up at him, looking almost like he could cry.

"You haven't seen me in months, and the first thing you do when I'm back is try to get in a fight? Its not a very warm welcome, Chrom." It was odd. That same statement coming from anyone else with Chrom how he was right now would had led to a fight. Instead Frederick saw Chrom go meek, trying to look smaller and go into Nesting mode for Robin. The prince was already quite whipped, and they weren't even mates yet. It was... cute. Even if it made Frederick's heart clench painfully.

"I'm sorry, I just, um..." Taken in by Robin's scent, Chrom's brain was fried as he tried to think of a good response. Frederick had been taken in a few times in his life by an Omega's scent, so he couldn't blame Chrom. An Omega's scent was naturally very calming, but when an Alpha had mating or nesting notions towards that Omega it muddied your thoughts so badly you couldn't think. Robin let go of Chrom's hand and traced his fingers up Chrom's jaw, slowly, until Chrom presses his cheek into the smaller man's palm.

"You were being silly and thought Frederick was after me. You're too jacked up on your rut, Chrom, so calm down." The tone was firm. Frederick had to back away, Robin was starting to get to him, too, and mess with his head. It wouldn't be good for anyone if that happened. All it took was a few quick movements for Robin to have his arms wrapped around Chrom's, like a couple would, and started leading him off elsewhere. 

For a moment, Robin looked back at Frederick and seemed almost sad or pleading. Then he was gone, turning a corner with the prince in tow. Frederick took a few minutes to collect himself before he retired to his room, suddenly exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still SUPER gay for these two. I hope I can make that 10 chapter end time, cause I fear with what I have planned and how long its taking me I might end up with more chapters. What a good problem for you guys, right?
> 
> I still feel bad about making Chrom a dick, cause I really do like him, but I promise it gets better by the end. I promise. I love my blueberry cinnamonroll too much.
> 
> Also, I want you guys who have read, commented and bookmarked know that I love you guys. I feel bad because I don't really respond to comments much, on ANY of my works, but I want you all to know its because I'm... incredibly shy about these things. I don't know what is too much with comments or when to stop, so I don't do it at all and it makes me seem like I'm ignoring you guys. I'm sorry. :c
> 
> If you guys spot any glaring errors, tell me! I'll fix them.
> 
> This chapter brought to you by [Drops of Jupiter by Train](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xf-Lesrkuc).


	3. Diamonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frederick's rut leads to a painful misunderstanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bet some of you thought you had seen the last of my gay ass ;)

A lot of Betas seemed to have this misconception that a Heat and a Rut were the same thing. The same feeling and reaction just with different dominance types involved. From what Frederick had read, or heard snippets of conversation on, an Omega Heat was nothing like an Alpha Rut.

A Heat was exactly what it was named for. It was hot lust spreading from the very core of your person until it filled every inch of you. A Heat consumed and took until the Omega was so addled with need and wanting they would take whatever relief they could get, from whomever they could get it from. It was slowly going mad with desire and your body working against you.

Frederick knew that this wasn't what a Rut was like. The best way he could describe a Rut was 'hypersensitivity', for lack of a better word. The world was sharper, louder, and more pungent. It made you more paranoid and angry, taking offense to any little thing. His clothes seemed to rub him differently, make him more aware of the friction between his thighs. Of course he was horny, but it wasn't at the forefront of his mind like with a Heat. It was always a constant presence but one that could be ignored if more pressing things needed attending. The worst part was how everything seemed like a challenge now, how everything seemed to be out to get him.

This feeling was why Frederick knew for a matter of fact when he woke up the day after Robin's awakening that he was in full Rut. He hated himself for having to tend to himself. The time he spent sating his primal desires was time taken away from doing what he needed to do around the castle.

Most avoided him and with good reason that morning. It wasn't uncommon for Betas to have Ruts taken out on them, in whatever way an Alpha needed relief. There were a few people in the castle who would have bent over if only Frederick had said the words, but he valued others and his own morals more than that. He didn't want someone to felt like they had to breed with him, and he didn't want to bully anyone when he should have just kept better check on himself. Rut or not, he had self respect.

A silver knife clattered out of fumbling fingers. The great knight had been trying to polish it like he did every morning, but his mind was too frazzled. The world moved around him like he was trapped in molasses, red anger dotting his vision. One breath, then two, and he saw that the red wasn't anger anymore but actually blood. He squeezed his wounded hand tightly together, feeling a sharp stinging as he irritated the fresh cut on his palm.

A brief check of the time and his mental scheduling told Frederick that Lissa was the closest healer. She had morning study sessions in the library at this hour, and even if Frederick knew her to slack off occasionally she never missed this time unless she was away from the castle. The cut wasn't deep, but it would be better to hurry and seal it up with magic since it was in such a sensitive place. He rinsed off his hand and gave it a small wrap before going to find her.

The hallways were empty, as Frederick expected in the royal's wing. Few servants were ever here as it was, but with Chrom's Rut the place seemed abandoned. This part of the castle especially, since it was the most likely place to see the prince. Still, something was off that the knight couldn't put his finger on. The hallway was filled with Rut scent, but there was a mingling there that he couldn't place.

Frederick paused in front of the library door. It was cracked. A soft whimper made him freeze from just throwing the door open. A female sound, from Lissa. Carefully, he opened the door enough to peek inside. He very much wished he wasn't seeing what was happening.

The smell of _sex_ hit Frederick's nose hard. Lissa was being held up, half sitting on her study desk and half off. Her lovely yellow dress was pushed up to reveal her chest, with Vaike, of all the males, between her thighs. His rough hands were all over the princess, coaxing those soft sounds from her throat.

Frederick's first instinct was to barge in, try to slaughter Vaike for his injustice with Lissa. Somehow he managed to quell the indignation and rage in his gut and really take the scene in. It was easy to forget that Lissa was a woman now, almost nineteen. She could take lovers if she saw fit, and from how she seemed enraptured and moved with Vaike, he knew the girl wasn't forced. The knight also knew the other man was virtuous, even if he could be thick headed; this coupling was mutual, and it would be cruel for him to ruin that.

Stepping back, Frederick closed the door with and took a few minutes to catch his breath and clear his head.

\------

"Frederick!" Robin bounced towards him from down the hallway, a box in his arms. His usual clothes were on, the Plegian robes the white haired man had first been found in fresh and clean. Frederick stopped, offering the smaller man a tiny smile. Chrom was just down the hallway, eying both the great knight and the tactician. Guarding and watchful, like Frederick was trying to stake on his claim.

"Ah, Robin, what are you doing here?" Frederick tried to keep his tone light and cordial. The scene of just a few minutes ago was still fresh on his mind, but now all he could focus on was the mellow Omega scent from Robin. The younger man didn't seem as tired as he had the day before. A good meal and lots of sleep must have been good for him. He was still gaunt, but Frederick was confident that he would fatten.

"Chrom said I could stay up here." Robin shifted the box from arm to arm. It was clunky and looked heavy, whatever was in it. Gingerly, Frederick lifted it out of the younger man's arms to find that it was, as expected, quite heavy. It was nothing that the knight couldn't handle, of course. He also felt pleased by the look of relief that crossed Robin's face. "I don't have anywhere to go right now, and I can't live in the infirmary."

The younger man toyed with the hem of his cloak, a nervous habit that Frederick had become endeared to long ago. Nodding to Robin, the knight started to walk in Chrom's direction with slow, measured steps. Usually only family was allowed to live on this wing. For Chrom to personally invite Robin to do so showed just how much that he cared about the white haired man. It was also reassuring that Robin had somewhere to stay, not that Frederick was under any illusion that Chrom would kick him to the streets.

"My lord." Frederick bowed, or at least showed as much respect to Chrom as he could with the box in his arms. The blue haired man seemed to be in a good humor, the intoxicating rut scent not as strong as it usually was. Robin's presence had calmed him down a lot in such a short time. Even if it hurt, it was nice to see. "I hope you do not mind the intrusion."

"Not at all. We're just moving these things from my chambers." Chrom had his own box in his arms, larger than the one Frederick carried. Putting the pieces together, Frederick realized that this was the few personnel possessions Robin owned before he vanished. Robin had never been a man who relished in physical things, so everything he had owned during his time with them had been gifts or necessity. They were small, things he could pack away in a tent for marching to war. Frederick figured that if the box in his arms were so heavy, it must have been books. They were one of the few frivolous things that the mage indulged himself in from time to time.

"Chrom had been keeping everything safe for me." Robin smiled, but there was a tightness there that Frederick couldn't place. The Exalt didn't seem to notice and grinned, happy he had pleased Robin. Frederick suddenly felt like he might have been intruding on a very private moment, so he nodded to the pair and started to move towards what looked to be the spare area that Robin would be living in.

"I should hurry and return to my duties." Slipping into the open doorway, Frederick wrinkled his nose at the stale air. This room was nice, fit for royalty after all, with a private bathing chamber, restroom, and closet, The furniture was grand, as well, all dark wood with intricate designs. An extra large bed was the showpiece of the room, but a nice writing desk and comfy looking chair were tucked next to a large window.

Frederick placed the box on the desk before moving to the window, opening it wide. The brown haired man hoped to freshen the room. This room overlooked the outer courtyard, where many Shepherds mingled or trained on the flat and worn earth. It wasn't the loveliest view, but the knight knew that Robin would appreciate it as a chance to see his friends.

If Robin got to see his friends at all, with how Chrom was guarding him.

Frederick snarled to himself, squeezing his hands into tight fists. The red returned to the edge of his vision, spurned on by pain in his hand. This was to be Robin's space, an _Omega's_ space, and another _Alpha_ was trying to claim it. Chrom's scent hadn't permeated in here yet since it had been closed off. It begged for Frederick to mark as his own, to mark Robin as his own, but he closed his eyes and breathed deeply until the urge passed.

"Frederick?" A curious voice made the knight jerk, twisting around. He saw Robin standing in the doorway, brown eyes wide and blown out, before he blinked stupidly and shook his head. Frederick sniffed and happened to catch his own Rut scent thick in the air. Robin must have been compelled since he was an Omega, compelled to answer the call and mate, and the knight felt a deep shame for doing that to his friend. He was at least glad he had opened the window, since it would clear out sooner that way.

"Sorry." The knight started, but as Robin's gaze cleared it instead filled with panic.

"Your hand!" The tactician lurched forward, Frederick's hand in his grip before the knight could realize what he was doing. In his fit he had opened the cut again, the thin fabric soaked red. Robin knelt down and started to unwrap the wound with nimble fingers. It stung still, but Frederick was thankful for it when cool, pale skin brushed over his wrist. He sighed again.

"I just nicked myself this morning. Its nothing you should fret over."

"Oh, Frederick! This is so much bigger than I expected!" Really, the cut wasn't a bad one, looking much worse than it felt. Robin had seen many battlefield wounds, and it was silly for him to get so worked up over something like this.

The door creaked open, followed by the thump of a box hitting the floor. Various rolled up maps and parchments rolled on the ground around Chrom's feet from the doorway. Frederick's eyes snapped to him, of course, the prince looking stunned and sheet white. His color quickly filled in, his lips snarling and a vicious growl coming from his throat. Chrom didn't just look angry, he looked ready to kill.

Frederick wouldn't imagine why, but then he realized what position that Robin was in before him, how it must have smelled in here, that Robin was Chrom's. Frederick barely had time to push Robin out of the way before Chrom had lunged, crossing the room at record speeds and physically jumping on Frederick. Frederick braced but still staggered back and fell against the wall. His instinct kicked in after that, red in his vision again as he took this as a challenge, took it for what it was.

Chrom intended to pin Frederick. The blue haired man was faster, but the knight was larger and stronger. Even at this awkward angle he pushed back, clawing at Chrom to get him off so he could retaliate. He loosened one of Chrom's arms on him, but all that earned Frederick was a punch in the face he couldn't even try to dodge. Pain flared in his cheek and his teeth ached, but it just stoked the flames in his gut.

Frederick wanted to bite, maul, and kill more than anything. His blood pumped hot in his veins, demanding it. He would win, be top Alpha. That way he could have his choice of mates instead of whatever leftovers that Chrom threw his way. That way he could have Robin.

The knight was so lost in that feeling, lost in the voice inside him, that he didn't know how long him and Chrom rolled around in the floor trading sharp blows and banging around the room. Frederick registered another person's voice a few times, but his focus was on the blue haired prince. He would kill him, or he would be killed. It was simple as that.

The thing that snapped Frederick out of it was the keening of a very, _very_ distressed Omega. From his position holding Chrom off, the brown haired man saw Robin by the still open window. He had fat tears rolling down his cheeks but his head was back, the high pitched warbling noise sending chills down his spine. It was hard, but he fought back his more beast like urges and assessed the situation. This wasn't what Robin wanted or needed to see.

Chrom didn't seem effected by the noise, if anything it only seem to egg him on. Frederick realized that he would have to be the one to end this, to relent, because the prince wasn't going to anytime soon. Summoning up every ounce of strength, the great knight shoved Chrom off of him. Before he could latch back on, Frederick tilted his head back and exposed his throat to the blue haired man. Chrom paused, just for a moment, at the display of submission.

The great knight was worried that Chrom would take this chance to end him, but this seemed to appease the angered prince. He still gave Frederick one last, hard jab in the gut, knocking the wind out of the larger man and sending him to his knees. Chrom glowered down at Frederick, then finally turned to Robin.

Robin was still making this pitiful noises. It made Frederick's heart ache. Robin was normally so composed. He had only known the white haired mage to make these sounds once before, when they had met the other 'Robin' in Plegia. That night he had been wracked with so much worry and guilt that he keened all night, loud enough for the whole camp to hear.

Chrom tried to touch his face, soothe away the noises, but to Frederick's surprise Robin lashed out. He shoved the blue haired prince away, who first looked stung and then enraged. The prince stepped towards Robin, raising his hand, but it shook and Chrom grabbed his head instead. He backed away, then exited the room with no sign that he would return.

Frederick slowly rose to his feet and approached Robin. The other man had quieted, some. He knew he would probably just be shooed away like Chrom, but he still felt the urge to protect and prevent that sound. He lifted his hand, touching Robin's cheek and rubbing away a few tears first. Robin's skin was hot and flushed, the skin already starting to chap from his salty teartrails. When Robin didn't push him away immediately, the great knight slid his hand lower and to Robin's throat.

The omega's jugular thrummed under the alpha's thumb. All it would take was the right touch, a little press, and Robin would be on his knees and begging for Frederick to take him. Instead, he rubbed slow circles over the spot until Robin took in a sharp breath and quieted. The smaller man still sniffled, but he didn't shake as he did before. In fact, Robin seemed to be slowly turning to jelly under the ministrations.

Knowing that any more would be a mistake, Frederick reluctantly pulled his hand away and guided Robin to his bed. The white haired man lay down without a fuss, but looked up at Frederick with a certain need in his eyes that hurt so badly. It wasn't for sex, not, but for comfort. A nesting behavior, which the knight had drawn out of his by accident with his touches.

Frederick shook his head and instead pulled the blankets over Robin. This done, he forced himself to look away from those pleading brown eyes and made his way to the door, closing it behind him as he left.

\------

"You should count your blessings. Not many make it out of a fight like that as lucky as you." Lon'qu was leaning against the wall of the infirmary as he spoke, arms crossed and voice clipped. Libra was checking Frederick over to made sure he was alright. It wasn't until he was down the hall that the adrenaline faded and the great knight realized just how much he ached and how much of a beating he had taken.

It was nothing too serious, but his chest and arms were mostly bruises. His eyes were blackened and his lip split in multiple places as well. Libra was pretty sure that his nose was broken and that still needed tending to, but right now the blond haired priest was checking to see if he had any broken ribs. Lon'qu clicked his tongue again, surprisingly chatty today.

"What did you do to piss of the Exalt, Frederick? You try and steal his bitch?"

Frederick started, but then snarled at the other man openly. Lon'qu snarled back, in challenge, but then an uncharacteristic smirk appeared on his face.

"Damn, didn't think that was actually the case." Libra shot a warning look to his mate to quiet him down. Frederick hadn't missed the rough bite marks dotting the priest's neck or how Lon'qu's scent overpowered the priest's own. Sometime since The other day, the two had moved from courting to coupling. The great knight guessed he could be happy for them, even in the rough state he was in.

It also just served to remind Frederick that he was mate-less, and wasn't likely to get one anytime soon. Especially after a display like that.

"It was an accident." The least that the knight could do was defend himself. It might also help quell any rumors that would start up if this got out. Frederick wasn't sure what he would do with himself if Robin heard rumors that he was trying to steal the white haired man away from Chrom. "Milord's rut just made him see something that wasn't happening."

"That's not what I heard, big guy." Poking head in, Gaius gave Frederick a toothy grin and winked. A second later the thief was inside, door closed and leaning on the wall next to the bed that Frederick was sitting on. Libra and Lon'qu frowned at the orange headed man but said nothing to stop him. Frederick scowled. "Come on, get that nasty look off your pretty face. I brought you a gift."

Something white and round was tossed at Frederick. He caught it, right before it could fall in the floor. Turning the object in his hands, he found it to be a bar of soap. It was pungent, so he put it down quickly so it wouldn't offend his nose any longer.

"What's this for?" Gaius just snorted and laughed at Frederick's question. He seemed pleased with himself, at least.

"Everyone in the castle will know you had a fight with Chrom if you keep smelling like that. That stuff will wash off any scent except your own. After Padre here patches you up, you better bath so no one wags their lips right off." Gaius smirked. "Prince Blue fighting with his right hand man would make for some real juicy gossip, you know."

Frederick ran his fingers over the soap again. He had fought many battles with Gaius in the wars and knew he was a great ally. Otherwise, he had never been close to the thief, not like Chrom seemed to be. It was odd that he had went out of his way to help the brown haired man. He didn't get a chance to question it, since Gaius was gone before he could.

The rest of Frederick's visit had him exchanging light conversation with Libra and Lon'qu. His head wasn't really in it, however. When the priest was done, the knight thanked him and then went on his way back to his room.

\------

A crisp, white note was laying on Frederick's desk when he entered his room. 'Frederick' was written on the outside, in neat and looping letter. Lissa's handwriting. He wondered if the girl had heard about what had happened. Maybe she had even heard the fight, or at least Robin's distressed sounds; she had been busy, but was still only a few hallways away at the time.

Carefully unfolding it, the knight didn't find anything to do with fights or breeding. Instead, it was friendly orders from Chrom, that Lissa had dictated.

"Chrom wants to know if you can get the stuff together for a feast tomorrow! He wants to celebrate Robin being back with all the Shepherds!" It was followed by a list of what they would need. He groaned as he looked at it. This would all be easy to obtain, but would have him running all over the city just to get it all in time.

It would also be stupid of him to miss what this meant. Not only had Chrom not told him directly, when he could have, but Frederick would also be out of the castle almost all day. Plus, he would then need to oversee that everything was put in place from the guards to the dinnerware. He would be lucky if he had any time to himself tomorrow.

Yes, this task was two things. It was punishment, first and foremost. Chrom had many servants in the castle who could have easily done this, yet he had requested Frederick. He would also be away from Robin all day, giving the Exalt free reign to dominate his time. It was common for head Alphas to send others they sent as a threat away for long periods of time so they could cement their place.

So... did that mean Chrom saw Frederick as a threat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was kind of a slog to write. I had a fight scene but: 1.) I don't like fight scenes, 2.) I'm not good at writing them and 3.) I usually don't like reading them. So I felt like it led to a mess.
> 
> The good stuff doesn't start happening till next chapter, so think of this one more like a bridge between 'Robin is Alive' and 'Bonding Time with Robin'. It was one of those chapters needed to set up the plot more than anything, really. If that even makes any sense.
> 
> But, yeah! I should be able to showcase more of the characters, what they've been doing, and who is all paired up and what kids are present. Plus, just a metric fuck ton of fluff and flirting with no mean blueberries to ruin it. Oh, what fun. ; )
> 
> This chapter brought to you by [Diamonds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-VJOzb-10). Not the Rihanna version, but a cover by Steam Powered Giraffe that I fell in love with.


	4. Stellar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin helps Frederick shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me too long

If Frederick thought he ached the day before, he clearly wasn't ready for that morning. As soon as he had thrown his clothes off he had been in bed, the fight still fresh on his mind. Even as he replayed Robin's pleading eyes in his head, what might have happened if he had nested instead of leaving, he found that he just couldn't stay awake. His sleep was black and deep, and the sun rose much too early for his liking for how soon he had to wake.

Everything was sore. Even the parts that hadn't been hit were strained from exertion. Frederick was a very fit man who trained rigorously almost every day, he hadn't been ready to fight someone just as well kept as himself hand to hand. Chrom was a powerful ally but also a powerful enemy as well. He knew he would need to keep that in mind from now on.

His cock ached with need despite his sorry state. It was frustrating, and he didn't have the energy to rid himself of it. Instead, Frederick went to washed himself. It was only as he was soaking away his stress in the hot water that he remembered Gaius' gift. He had deposited it in his shower things when he arrived back to his room, so it only took a moment to dig it out.

The soap smelled even worse when it was wet; strong and acidic in a way that burned his nose. It didn't leave the nasty scent behind, but made his skin smell faintly sharp. This was good news at least. Maybe Gaius was right and fewer people would try and spread gossip if they couldn't smell the evidence.

The rest of the knight's morning was uneventful. He dressed, ate a light breakfast, and then took up the list Lissa had delivered. Today would be a long day and he needed to get ready for lots of pushing through crowds and bartering.

A half hour later Frederick was leaving the castle. Few were awake at this hour, but he was glad that Lissa had the foresight to leave a leather pouch of gold with Laurent. The boy was always early to rise just like his mother, as the pair would do their experiments from dawn until dusk.

The city was only starting to come awake under the morning sun as he left, merchants setting up shop or people running to make it to work. It was quiet as he left the gates to make his way to his first destination; they needed silks and cloths for all the guests, and Frederick wanted to get those early while the finest ones were still in stock.

"Frederick!" Some from behind him called his name, causing him to turn. Small, in a plain brown cloak, darted down the uneven cobblestone path towards him. He wasn't sure who it could be, but the voice was enough of a hint. Frederick just wouldn't allow himself to think who he thought it was.

"Yes?" _Robin_ stuck in his throat. There was no way it was the younger man, not after what had happened the day before. Especially not since Chrom would likely jealously guard him all day today and most of the night. Yet here he was, stopping in front of Frederick and smiling up at him. His pale cheeks were flushed from running and he panted softly. Frederick knitted his brows, questions heavy on his tongue. Robin caught on before he could ask them.

"I wanted to come with you today." He worried with the brown cloak, as he might his own. Frederick noted that he wasn't wearing his Plegian garb. That was odd, since he imagined that Robin must have been very attached to it. Henry had explained to him once that a magic weilder's clothes could get charged with magical energy over time. It aided in spell casting, and was also why most mages or sorcerers wore such ridiculous things. It was simply what had absorbed most of their innate magical talents.

"Why?" Seeing Robin without his favorite article of clothing, or perhaps just that he was here _at all_ , jarred Frederick enough that the question slipped out before he could stop it. Guilt instantly tugged at his chest when Robin's face fell. He stepped forward, hand raised, an instinct to sooth and try to brush away whatever was making him upset. Only, Frederick had left him upset, so he just froze in place. Robin hadn't stepped back, and he was so close now that Frederick could smell the faint scent of soap on his skin.

"O-oh, um, I.... I just didn't want to get in the way today. With all the preparations." Now Robin chose to step back, and Frederick felt colder somehow at the distance. Robin glanced back at the castle, uncertain. "But, I could... I could go back, if I'm bothering you."

"You can come with me!" The fervor behind his words surprised them both. Robin's lips parted, a surprised little 'o' as he stared with wide eyed up at the great knight. Frederick felt vulnerable in his searching gaze. A tension that Frederick didn't know he was holding released when Robin smiled again and nodded.

"Thank you, Frederick." Robin glanced back at the castle again and Frederick didn't miss the relief that showed on his face. Did Robin not want to be there? The moment passed, and Robin was walking past him and into the city. The brown haired man followed, not wanting Robin to get too far away. An Omega could be an easy target if you weren't careful.

The walk was peaceful. Robin seemed content to follow wherever Frederick was going. Occasionally he would point out things from the market as they passed by, or a colorful bird, or children playing in the streets. Conversation was soft and easy, and when they weren't talking the silence was companionable instead of stifling. Frederick had haggled his way to getting all the bolts of cloth they needed for three gold cheaper before Robin broached the topic of the day before.

"Does it hurt?" Frederick turned from watching the deliveryman make his way towards the castle. Robin was looking down, picking at his nails and watching as he did so. He was pensive and Frederick couldn't piece together what he was talking about. The white haired man glanced up shyly, browns eyes meeting his own. He was so entranced by them that he didn't notice Robin reaching for him until his hand was pressed to his cheek. "Your nose is swollen. It looks painful."

 _Omega. Omega. Claim._ Danced around in Frederick's head when Robin's mellow and pleasant scent filled his nose. He couldn't help it as he turned his head lightly, pressing his cheek against the warm skin. His dick twitched in his pants, reminding him that he needed to mate while he could and that he hadn't taken care of himself that morning. The red was in his vision again, but he didn't notice because he was lost in pools of brown. Reason was gone with the wind.

"I..." Frederick swallowed hard. His voice was rough to his own ears, dripping with desire. Robin's eyes were blown wide again, like the day before, but there was no bothersome Chrom scent around. There was nothing around to snap him from his trance. He stepped forward, and Robin was pressed back against the building. He didn't seem scared, pink lips parted and his head tilted back ever so slightly to expose that pretty spot on his throat.

The knight leaned in, ghosting his lips over Robin's cheek and down to his throat. The smaller man's arms had latched around him at some point, pulling him close. Encouraging. Frederick brushed his nose over Robin's pulse point where his scent was strongest. The tip of his tongue flicked the spot lightly, tasting. Robin let out a soft peep and shuddered under him, pulling him closer. Blood roared in Frederick's ears as _bite bite bite_ repeated in his head.

He went as far as grazing his teeth over the spot before sense came back to Frederick. Sound came back first, the sounds of a city in action with people talking, children laughing and cart wheels clattering on stone streets. The knight jerked backwards, letting Robin go as he did do. The tactician was wobbling on his feet and leaning against the wall heavily. He looked confused, an arm reaching out to try and pull Frederick back in.

If Frederick were a weaker man, maybe he would have pressed back against him. He wanted more than anything to dive back into those arms and kiss Robin till he couldn't breath, then take him somewhere private and breed him till he couldn't stand. Instead, he shrugged the hand off and tried to ignore the hurt look that crossed Robin's features.

"I think you should go back to the castle." Frederick was proud his voice only wavered a little as he said this, that he managed to take another step back and cross his arms over his chest. He looked down, not wanting to see how Robin would take it. A soft sniffle was all he needed to hear to know 'not well'.

"I don't want to." Frederick looked up at that, met Robin's pleading eyes once again. He wasn't crying, not yet, but his lower lip was wobbling and his eyes were rimmed red. Tears were brimming there, but the Omega was trying his best to blink them back. "I don't _want_ to sit in a stuffy room by myself, or just with Chrom. I don't _want_ to go back and have him on top of me all the time, or trying to touch me when his urges get too strong, or fighting my friends because he's jealous!"

Robin looked down, and a single tear slid down his cheek. He sniffed again but no more came. His voice was so quiet Frederick was sure that he hadn't heard right at first when he said:

"I don't want Chrom to be my mate."

Frederick reeled, the information like a slap in the face. He tried to squash it down, how he felt. He was sad, yes, for Chrom and also for Robin. Chrom was hopelessly in love with Robin, and also Frederick's friend. He didn't want to see him hurt. Robin was an Omega, and when his heat finally hit him, he would have little choice or care who took him on as mate, and it would most likely be Chrom who did it. He didn't want Robin to be stuck with someone he didn't love, either. Worst was the little spark of hope that clouded everything else. If Robin didn't love Chrom, maybe he could love Frederick.

But that was next to impossible. The only reason that Robin had been so receptive to Frederick in the first place was because he was an Omega, and the knight was in rut. He had only wanted to come with him today to escape Chrom. While he knew that Robin respected him and thought of him as a friend, there couldn't be anything more between them than that. When reality crashed down on him again, he finally thought to spoke.

"You don't have to take him on." Was all that he could muster, trying to sound more confident in that answer than he felt.

"I want to tell him. Just not now. He's in rut, and you know how he can be." Frederick did understand. Very well. He absently touched his sore nose.

"Would you buy something for me? And keep it a secret?"

"Of course." Taking a breath, Frederick forced his posture to relax and offered Robin a tight smile. The least he could do for the other man was buy him something, after having upset him multiple times and tried to accost him the middle of the street. The white haired man sighed, finally pushing himself away from the wall and seeming more himself.

"Could you take me to the herb shops here? I need white willow, peppermint, and yarrow. For tea."

Robin wouldn't quite meet his eyes, and Frederick tried to place why those three herbs sounded so familiar to him. While he was suspicious, he didn't see anything wrong with getting them for the Omega. All three were well known medicinal herbs. Robin was known for often mixing medicinal things into his tea, to help with sleep or pain after battles. He was probably just stocking up his supply cabinet for later to try and self treat himself so he wouldn't worry anyone else. It was nothing to worry about.

"This way. We can stop at a nice shop we use to stock the castle on the way to the market." The smaller man perked up when Frederick said this, stepping forward and staying not-quite-under-but-still-close to the Alpha's arm. This pleased him more than it should have, and they chattered away as they had before until they reached the shop. Something was different, though, as this time Frederick has nagging guilt over his shameful display in the back of his thoughts.

The shop was a small one, but well known in Ylisse as having the best and freshest selection. It wasn't as fancy as the ones surrounding it, either, and when they entered it appeared to be void of customers for the time. A sleepy eyed old woman sat at the counter, nodding to them as they came in. Various herbs and polices in bottles, bags, or hanging in clumps were littered over the store. It had a chaotic feeling, but Robin zeroed in on what he wanted in the back right away.

Frederick waited by the door as Robin got what he needed. He came back with his hands full and spoke quietly to the old woman, who carefully placed everything in a plain brown sack. The Alpha approached the counter when Robin motioned for him, and he smiled at the old woman before producing the gold needed and handing it over. She counted it carefully, waving them off to go. That was all that Robin apparently needed, grabbing the sack and practically running outside before Frederick could even turn around.

"Very noble thing you did, for an Alpha and all." The old woman was quiet. She yawned, apparently as sleepy as she looked. Frederick paused, turning around.

"Excuse me?"

"Herbs. For the Omega. Real nice. Usually when they Heat up, you lot just want to use 'em. Nice of you to buy that stuff for 'im. Wish my mate had been half as thoughtful as you." She clicked her tongue. Frederick started to question her, but Robin poked his head back in.

"Is something wrong?" Robin frowned at him and Frederick chose to drop it. It was just an old woman being wistful, no doubt, and he was reading too much into it. Apologizing for taking so long, he joined Robin outside and they made their way to the market as planned. As they spoke, the Omega carefully folded up the bag as small as it would go and hid it under his cloak. He seemed less anxious now that it was over and Frederick was happy for that at least.

Robin helped Frederick haggle down all the food they needed for the feast. The knight felt like he had the entire market being delivered to the castle, but now they had plenty of fine things for the cooks. A few extra gold jingled in his pouch and he was glad for it; Frederick had forgotten how shrewd that Robin could be with this sort of thing. The younger man went further with his pricing than the knight ever dared to go, and was surprisingly rewarded for it. He would need to ask for some tips in the future.

They took a break for breakfast, by this point it had been a few hours and the sun was fully risen. Robin had yet to eat anything, so now they sat on a small wooden bench outside of a bakery. The white haired man's lips and fingers were dusted with powdered sugar as he nibbled on a doughnut. Frederick had abstained from eating, since he had already had breakfast and didn't generally enjoy fried things or sweets. However, something was very tempting about it today.

"You can have a taste if you like." Even as Robin said this, he popped the last piece of the doughnut in his mouth. He sighed and hummed in pleasure as he finished it up, a content smile on his face. Frederick chuckled.

"Of what? You've eaten them all. Maybe we should return to the market and buy more food for the feast." He grinned when Robin pouted up at him. "You _do_ have a few months of meals to make up."

"You can still have a taste." Robin huffed softly. He was trying to look insulted, but Robin could see the mirth in his eyes. Lifting his fingers up, he popped one into his mouth and sucked the powder off. Frederick couldn't help it, his eyes were drawn to the act. He could only imagine Robin's tongue swirling over the digit, and that led to a more naughty direction about just _what_ that tongue could do. He swallowed hard and looked away, but the damage was done. Robin had flushed pink as he realized what he had just suggested, be it a kiss for sweetness or finger sucking.

"I'm sorry." The moment passed, Robin using a napkin to clean himself off. "You're in Rut. I should be more sensitive to it."

This made Frederick tense, but he didn't reply. He couldn't, because he could feel it boiling up in him again. He closed his eyes and tried to think of other things, like if they still needed to buy anything today. The brown haired man almost flinched when Robin placed his hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly and rubbing the area.

"We should go back to the castle." Sighing, Robin nodded and agreed with Frederick. There was nothing else for them to buy, and now they were just stalling. They both had duties to get back to. Rising, they started to make their way back to the castle. Conversation was subdued between then and Frederick felt responsible. Whenever Robin would try to pick it up, he would give a flat answer in return and let it drop. He had no right to be treating Robin like this, but that pain of unrequited desire was pounding in his chest.

They chose to go in the back way, since the front gates were crawling with people already. Merchants, travelers, or just those who sought audience with someone inside. They scurried around like ants, and Frederick was glad for the cool shade of the trees around the back. The servant's door wasn't as closely guarded, on the outside at least, and the trees and bushes gave one almost a sense of privacy from the rest of the city. Not many prying eyes could see this way, nor did they choose to do so. All was quiet.

"Frederick." Robin grasped his wrist gently, pulling him to stop. Robin was pink again, looking down at the ground carefully. "Thank you for today." He offered him a timid smile, then stepped closer. He tilted his head back and rose on the tips of his toes, then pressed his lips gently against the knight's cheek. He pulled away with a small smack, then was gone.

It took the older man a full minute of standing there, staring into nothing, before he realized what had just happened. He lifted his hand to his cheek, the skin where Robin's lips had touched still seemed to vibrate with the ghost of the kiss. He sighed, and ended up having to back up and lean against one of the trees for support.

Why hadn't he done anything? Why hadn't he reacted? It was hard for Frederick to beat himself up too much when he could still feel how soft those lips had been against him, the natural sweetness of Robin still filled his nose from being so close.

"Frederick?" A voice snapped him from his daydreaming, causing him to tense. It was Severa, one of the future children, staring back at him with a suspicious gaze. She glanced over at the door, where Robin had went. He wondered how long she had been there. He wondered how much she had seen.

"I won't tell anyone." Was all she said when he couldn't find words. She rolled her eyes at him and shrugged, then opened the door and went inside. If Severa knew, then she would tell her sister. If Cynthia knew, then everyone in the whole castle would know what had just happened.

Fighting the rising panic swelling in his chest, Frederick went inside himself and readied for the day ahead. He had work to do, after all. He could worry about Severa and Robin after he had gotten it done and was back in Chrom's good graces. Even if all he could think about were white haired omegas and how soft their lips felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate work and its eating me alive :c makes it hard to want to write, or to write a lot at once.
> 
> also, i have a bad sunburn. plz.
> 
> next chapter will have more DRAMAZ OH NO and maybe we find out what those herbs were for???? or maybe not lel
> 
> this chapter of Everyone Hates Chrom was brought to you by [Stellar by Incubus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nqRkAsZumc). also, like, i had never actually watched the video for this song before getting a link for here and jfc just look at those early 2000/late 90s editing and cgi fuck. its almost as bad as 'waterfalls' by tlc. why is he shirtless the entire time????? someone give me answers.

**Author's Note:**

> So, that sure happened! I say again, this isn't the fic I had planned on posting! In fact, I had plans to post the first chapter of my M!Kamui/Niles fic.... way back on Niles' birthday. Oops.
> 
> Either way, I'm really pleased with this. M!Robin and Frederick give me life, and I wish there was a lot more of it. My only worry with this fic is that I mischaracterize some of my faves, Chrom in particular, but I took some liberties with setting. My goal isn't to vilify anyone, but I admit that since this fic will mostly be taken from Frederick's limited 3rd person POV, it might be hard as they have some clashing.
> 
> Going back to the M!Kamui/Niles fic, I actually have a lot done! My biggest worry is pacing, as I really really REALLY want it to be a slow burner that leaves you aching, but I worry a lot about if I'm rushing the relationship: particularly in the first chapter. It might take me longer than expected to just mull it over and make sure everything lines up. I want to do a good job with it since its a little passion project of mine.
> 
> Titles of will have literally nothing to do with the chapter itself, by the way. I just didn't feel right not having something there, and figured that the best way to fix that was by maybe putting the name of the song I listened to the most while writing it! So this chapter was brought to you by [Waterfalls by TLC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4).
> 
> I keep forgetting to link it elsewhere, but I have a tumblr! Its [here](http://ancientnapdragon.tumblr.com/) for all those interested. Mostly I just reblog random things, though. Sometimes post little updates about fics, but pretty rarely. Feel free to drop me a line sometime if you want!
> 
> Anyway, that's enough of my rattling on and on. I admit I only put so much because I'm sort of nervous, but I also want to keep you guys in the loop! I'll try and post up the next chapter promptly, but with my sporadic work schedule it can be hard. I just hope you bare with me. c:


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